Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has officially endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the states governorship candidate for 2019 election.
According to Vanguard, the endorsement was done during a stakeholders meeting at the APC secretariat at Acme Road in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos state.
Speaking to the stakeholders, Ambode said that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, are ready to carry on the task of taking Lagos to the next level. He also called on leaders of the party to work out modalities on how aggrieved members will be placated. Amdode said:
As we are looking forward to February 16, 2019, we know it is the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket that the whole of Lagos will vote for. As we proceed two weeks after on March 2, we also declare that it is the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket that will come to take over from me by the special grace of God. “I pray for them and bless them that they will take over from me successfully in good health and in good spirit.
“The first thing I want to say is to appeal to all our party members who, in one way or the other, have been wronged or aggrieved that they should find a place in their hearts to let it just be the same way that I have accepted the greatness of the party.
“I want us to know that the party is supreme to all our individual interests because it has the common good for all of us and we must find a place in our hearts to let the party reign supreme.
“I want to further appeal to all our leaders and our party leaders also that when there is a platform for reconciliation, we should proceed also to continue to reconcile and when there is a platform for compensation, we should also make those promissory notes so that all our aspirants who are not candidates must be ready to sacrifice for the overall collective of our party.
“This is very important so that we can move this campaign forward because it is only when we win that we can compensate, it is only when we win that we can reconcile and so let us have that collective decision to move APC forward.
“We are one party and we are one family and if we are one family and one party, then we should proceed and make APC the reigning party at the centre and the reigning party in Lagos. So, all our stakeholders, all our elders I seek for your cooperation, your solidarity and your support for our candidate at the gubernatorial level, senatorial level, House of Representatives and Assembly and also Presidency.”
The national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu commended Governor Ambode for respecting the wish of the party and abiding by the results of the governorship primary election.
“I want to say thank you to all of you and God bless you. I thank all of you for respecting the party, particularly the present Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Idiat Adebule. May God continue to bless you and guide you and you will live long with everlasting progress.
“Thank you to all our leaders, the Government Advisory Council (GAC) of Lagos State and the membership of the party who had embarked on reconciliation efforts to appeal to all our members who are initially aggrieved. The party supremacy has been demonstrated; the party discipline has been demonstrated. You are our leaders and we respect all of you.”
The Lagos Governor also called on residents of the state to come all out and vote for President Buhari during the 2019 presidential election.
Governor Ambode’s bid for a second term was dashed followed his defeat by Sanwo-Olu at the recently concluded governorship primary.
